From the time when the Government has announced plans to scrap home information packs, the number of homes being put on the market has risen by a third. According to UK's biggest estate agency nationwide, there is a 34% rise in the number of people selling their home after the declaration.

New instructions, up 68% compared with the same period a year ago, are now at levels last seen in September 2007, shortly after home information packs were first introduced. It has been announced by the Government on May 20 that the packs, which meant to speed up the home buying process by giving people more of the information they need honestly, were being scrapped with instant effect.

There is a campaign conducted by Estate agents against Hips, complaining that the typical £299 to £350 cost of accumulating one of the packs was discouraging people from putting their home on the market to test the water.

The was also little confirmation that packs profited consumers, with 91% of estate agents saying they thought house seekers paid little or no attention to them. "This decision has provided homeowners with the incentive they need to put their properties on the market and those sellers that were in two minds are now doing so and causing a big spike in activity for agents." said Robert Scarff, Managing Director of Countrywide's estate agency division. The biggest increase was in the Central and West Midlands region, where there was a 126% jump in new instructions.